- BHAGAVAD GITA -🔗

BOOK X, VOLUME I

Your Friend

Authored by

THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

Arjuna experiences Kṛṣṇa as the Master to His disciple and experiences the Master as a friend (sakha bhāva)

There are two ways in which we can live. First, we can embrace and welcome reality, in which case our ego or root pattern must dissolve because only then can we face reality. Please understand that this reality is God. God is not some entity hidden in some remote corner of the Universe or in the sky. He is the reality around us.

The second way of living is how most of us live: We create a shell, a dream world around ourselves to defend a false ego which has no substance in reality. This is what is meant by māyā—illusion. Since we are hidden in this capsule of our unreal world with our ego as the center, we cannot feel the immediate presence of God, who is actually the closest to us.

Listen! The first thing Kṛṣṇa teaches as rājavidya rājaguhyaṁ (secret of all secrets), is that Existence is not your enemy. It responds to your thoughts. It continuously cares for you. It is intelligence.

If you live with the attitude of enmity with the Whole, even when you live, you will constantly be tortured. When you live with the feeling of friendliness or sakha bhāva, with the attitude that Existence is your friend, that Existence is your own, you feel a deep easiness. Above all, more than the easiness, you will feel deeply connected to Existence.

To understand what happens when we leave the body.

❖ What is the sequence of events at the time of death?

To understand that Existence is your friend and it deeply cares for you

1. Where does God live?

2. What are the two ways of living?

4. Can a wave exist away from the ocean?

5. What gives you trust and courage in life?

MATERIALS NEEDED:

PROCEDURE

Get the children to write the names or descriptions (or draw) on the leaves of all the people they can be friendly with, whether in the past, present or future. One name or description per leaf. Then they stick their leaves onto their white paper to make a tree or forest.

INFERENCE

They can choose to be friendly to different, different people. Your actions should be nivṛitti (completion) based not pravṛitti (incompletion) based.

PROCEDURE: An outdoor activity: have a wide bowl of water between 3-4 children. Encourage them to watch the waves formed when they drop a small stone into the water. Get them to take turns to drop only one stone at a time, then two children drop at the same time, then all children around one bowl drop at the same time. Get them to describe what is different in the waves for different numbers of stones. Let them wait each time for the waves to disappear and the water to become calm again.

INFERENCE: The waves only have a temporary existence and disappear again, just as we are part of the Universe, of Existence

VAAKYARTHA SADHAS

PROCEDURE Get the children to hold Vaakyartha sadhas on Existence. How do they understand a statement like: Existence is not your enemy. It responds to your thoughts. It continuously cares for you. It is intelligence.

CONCLUSION We need courage to let go, to allow transformation to happen.

BOOK X, VOLUME II

Source

Authored by

THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

Kṛṣṇa is the cosmic consciousness, the egoless being and the enlightened energy

Experience Kṛṣṇa as divine and you experience you as divine

Whether we live a spiritual or a materialistic life, our root is our consciousness.

The greatness of Sanātana Dharma—the religion of eternal righteousness later called Hinduism—is that it doesn't propagate the religion or produce fanaticism. Whether you worship Kṛṣṇa, Śiva, Devi or Buddha, it does not make a difference. Please continue to worship whomever you believe in and whomever you connect with, that's enough. Be intense in your path. Nothing else needs to be done.

❖ In Hinduism — is it important which God we worship?

❖ What happens when you feel connected to a Master?

❖ Can you force a flower to blossom?

SRi YANTRA

MATERIALS NEEDED:

PROCEDURE

Either as a group or individually, depending on the age of the children, follow the instructions to draw a Sri Yantra.

INFERENCE

It is possible to draw the Sri Yantra, the representation of the Cosmos However, Don't get caught in the form

BLOOMING BUDS

PROCEDURE: Get the children to act out a short play of lotus flowers blossoming. Some children can be the flower, the arms can be petals that are held tightly to the body to start. The flowers can rise slowly, some children can be the impatient ones who tug at the petals. If a petal opens too soon let the children hold their arm all crooked or limp. One child represents the sun. When the sun-child arrives and gently touches a budding flower, the flower-child stands up straight and opens the arms like a flower.

Hold Vaakyartha sadhas on the topic: Like a seed must let go of its fears and break to open and become a tree, so we need courage to let go and trust the Guru

BOOK X, VOLUME III

You

Authored by

THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from doubt and delusion, forgiveness, truthfulness, control of the senses, control of the mind, happiness, distress, birth, death, fear, fearlessness

Kṛṣṇa says, whatever you have, whether you have a good name or a bad name, it is created by me

Be complete with life as it is, be authentic to all aspects of your life: your inner image, outer image, others' image and life's image.

As the Universal consciousness, Kṛṣṇa is the Creator, Sustainer and Rejuvenator. He is Brahma, Viṣṇu and Śiva.

He who knows all this glory and powers of mine, truly, he is fully united in Me; Of that there is no doubt

One needs to do nothing except understand and accept what Kṛṣṇa is. Nothing more is needed.

Kṛṣṇa asks us to complete with life as it is. Only when we accept ourselves as we are, can we accept others. Only then we will feel deep friendliness with others. Deep friendliness with others is spirituality. Understand that spirituality is honest and deep friendliness with others.

Love is the flowering of our consciousness. love is the greatest healing power on planet Earth.

Spirituality means flowing. Spirituality means radiating, spreading love and compassion. Whenever we enrich out of compassion, we never feel that we have served. We feel that we have been given an opportunity to serve, to enrich.

Whether we believe it or not, as of now, we have a deep enmity or hostility towards others and ourselves. We live in constant self-doubt, self- hatred and self-denial. We may smile, but we never feel friendly. To correct this, the first thing you need to do is completion with yourself and accept yourself as you are. Forgiving others and forgiving yourself are one and the same.

❖ Can we accept others if we don't accept ourselves?

❖ How are spirituality and friendliness connected?

❖ What is the greatest healing power on planet Earth?

❖ How can we correct our self-doubt, self-hatred and self-denial?

❖ How different are forgiving others and forgiving yourself?

DRAW KRISHNA CHALLENGE

MATERIALS NEEDED:

PROCEDURE

Get children to draw something relating to Kṛṣṇa, but each time they lift the pen off the paper, they must swop the hand holding the pen. With deep friendliness and patience for the hand that is their non-dominant hand. Let them try to have each hand drawing similar amounts

INFERENCE

❖ Learning to accept ourselves. ❖ Friendliness starts with ourselves.

FRIENDLINESS COMPLETION

MATERIALS A sheet of paper divided into two columns. On the left side put the title "self- doubt", and on the right side put the title "friendliness, completion"

PROCEDURE: Get the children to write or draw some of their doubts in the left hand side. For example, they doubt they can do a particular asana, or remember a mantra. Then pair the children. Each child in a pair has a turn telling their doubt with the other helping them with their doubt from the space of deep friendliness, to face their doubt or suggesting some options that may help complete the doubt.

INFERENCE: When we experience friendliness we start accepting ourselves. Deep friendliness with others is spirituality

Hold Vaakyartha sadhas on: When you serve others, you enrich yourself and them. Is there someone in their family they can offer to help something that they have never offered to do before?

CONCLUSION Completion with life, deep friendliness, acceptance and forgiveness, compassion - uniting with the glory and powers of Kṛṣṇa

BOOK X, VOLUME IV

Authored by

THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

We surrender ourselves to the One who has already surrendered Himself.

10.9

When we deeply feel connected to the Master and He expresses His glory, we expand.

10.10

Carry the space of brahmaṇyam bahuputratām, the feeling that you are the favorite inheritor of the cosmos.

10.11

The Master leads the disciple from darkness into light with compassion

We experience life as divine and a blessing when we connect with the Divine, when we trust, when we completely open up, when we don't have other vested interests and when we do not beg for anything from life. Only when we understand, 'I want the pure experience of the Divine, nothing else,' we experience the whole of Existence in a totally different way. Imagine how Arjuna felt when Kṛṣṇa revealed these things for the first time, inch by inch. 'Oh Arjuna, I am that. I am this. I am everything.' Arjuna may not have said anything, but he surely must have felt that he was expanding.

This darkness of ignorance is the identification that one has with one’s self, one’s material attachments and material possessions. This identification surely leads to sorrow since this attachment is for things that are fleeting. The Master is the only person who can dispel that darkness. Only He can light up that wisdom within you in order for you to realize that you are already one with Existence and therefore need nothing from this material world.

REALIZE YOUR DIVINITY

MATERIALS NEEDED:

PROCEDURE

INFERENCE

MATERIALS

PROCEDURE: Children to develop a short story or stories about Kṛṣṇa into a shadow play

INFERENCE: In shadow play, we need light to tell a story. Light dispels the darkness

Hold Vaakyartha sadhas on the Guru, the Master leading the disciple from darkness into light

A Guru provides people with the intelligence to enlighten them

BOOK X, VOLUME V

By Yourself

Authored by

THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

When you are in love with your Master, you are delighted to hear his glories

All the sages like Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa have explained this. Now you are personally explaining to me

Have do doubts about the glories of a master such as Kṛṣṇa

10.14

A perfect disciple is in state of acceptance

Enrich humanity by revealing the Lord's glories

10.16

Out of compassion, Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself

The perfect disciple has no doubts about what his Master tells him more about Himself, His glories. He just seeks to know how he should approach his Master, how he should see his Master.

When you are in such deep love with your Master as Arjuna is with Kṛṣṇa, there is nothing to be said. There is nothing even to be heard. Arjuna would have been perfectly happy to sit in silence, in deep meditation upon Kṛṣṇa.

To understand no words are needed between Master and disciple, and also that words from the Master enrich us

❖ How do we decide how to approach the Master?

❖ When you are in deep love with your Master, are words needed?

MAKE A PAPER FLUTE

MATERIALS NEEDED:

PROCEDURE First, talk a little on Kṛṣṇa and his flute Get children to draw a single line of finger-tip sized dots along the length of the paper. Best is to have the line of dots in the centre of the paper. Up to 10 dots, can be less. Decorate the rest of the paper including stickers if available. Roll the paper into a tube so that the line of dots form a line on the tube. Stick the tube with the sticky tape Those who have finished can try holding the flute as Kṛṣṇa held it when playing it

INFERENCE Connecting to Bhagavan Krishna

PROCEDURE: Acharya to tell a few of the glories and stories of Kṛṣṇa, His līlā. Then children sit in silence, meditating on Kṛṣṇa to gentle flute music.

INFERENCE: A small experience of being perfectly happy to sit in silence, in deep meditation upon Kṛṣṇa There are times when there is no need for words

Hold Vaakyartha sadhas on how a disciple can seek to know how he should approach his Master, how he should see his Master.

Connect to Kṛṣṇa to be enriched by Kṛṣṇa Our deep love with our Master leads us to be enlightened

BOOK X, VOLUME VI

Authored by

THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

POWERFUL COGNITION

fall into the nectar and submerge yourself!

Tell me in detail of your powers and glories, Oh Janārdana. Again, Tell me in detail of your powers and glories, Oh Janārdana. Again, please tell for my satisfaction as I do not tire of please tell for my satisfaction as I do not tire of hearing your sweet words

As He promised, He will provide the light of wisdom for you to be enlightened.

Vivekananda said, ‘Sip from the cup, of course, what else?’

‘You fool!’ said the Master, ‘You should fall into the nectar and submerge yourself!

When would you ever get this opportunity again?

Arjuna is on that verge of immersion. His intellect has almost disappeared. He needs the last nudge, so to speak.

You too, as the reader, make your plea to Parabrahma Kṛṣṇa, the Jagatguru, so that He may tell you about His glory, and so that you may meditate upon His glory with single pointed focus of the mind. As He promised, He will provide the light of wisdom for you to be enlightened.

To understand the greatness of the opportunity of listening to your master

❖ What is the perfect mood for a devotee and disciple?

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Explain to the children how bees go from flower to flower collecting nectar to make into honey. If possibly, show a short video how bees often go right into the flowers. Get children to make a collage of a flower garden, with many varieties. They can draw in some bees with the colored pens

Immerse yourself in Kṛṣṇa

SITTING IN SILENCE

❖ Cushions or mats for children to sit on ❖ Blindfolds

Do a 7 minute humming meditation. Children use a blindfold over their eyes. Ask children to hum as loudly as possible, as intensely as is comfortable, so that the humming is coming from their navel area.

Follow the humming with 3 minutes sitting in silence to let the energy settle again

Complete immersion is the perfect mood for a devotee and disciple

BOOK X, VOLUME VIII

Authored by

THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

10.23

Auspiciousness born without a reason, the causeless auspiciousness of Paramaśiva

He is the mighty ocean, infinite in expanse and essential to all life forms. In fact, it is the origin of all life forms.

From the primal sound from which the Universe manifested itself, to the spiritual significance of the Himalayas, all are Kṛṣṇa consciousness

Amongst the peaks, Kṛṣṇa says He is the majestic Meru. Bṛhaspati is the priest of the gods. He dispels darkness and ignorance and destroys the enemies of the gods. Among the warriors, Kṛṣṇa says He is Skanda, the supreme General of the forces of gods. Skanda is the son of Śiva and Pārvati, who destroyed Tārakāsura, the demon who, along with his hordes of demons, tormented the devas. This is a metaphysical representation of the Divine as the Supreme General of the being, vanquishing the senses, desires and ego.

Of the immovable objects in the world, He says He is the mighty and majestic Himalayas. The Himalayas, literally meaning ‘the abode of snow’, is home to hundreds of peaks, including the highest peak in the world. Some great rivers originate in it and flow through it, including Gangā, Yamunā, Brahmaputra and Indus

The Himalayas have a great unique spiritual significance as well. Kailasa, abode of Śiva, is the earthly representation of the metaphorical Meru. The Himalayan mountains are the spiritual incubator of the world. The Himalayas are truly a powerful energy field.

To have a glimpse of the unfathomable Divine

❖ What is special about Bṛhaspati and Skanda?

❖ Which mountain chain does Kṛṣṇa say he is?

❖ What do the Himalayas contribute to the world?

MATERIALS NEEDED:

PROCEDURE Describe the Himalayas and some of the benefits of this mountain range to the children. For example: ❖ the Himalayas are the source of the Indus, Gangha, and Brahmaputra Rivers. ❖ many sages have lived and continue to live in the Himalayas, living even in snow caves ❖ the Himalayas are home to some of the rarest species in the animal kingdom including snow leopards, Tibetan sheep, musk deer and mountain goats ❖ there are many mountain monasteries in the Himalayas there are many landscapes in the Himalayas, from lush green valleys to snow-capped mountains the highest mountain on planet Earth is in the Himalayas Then ask the children to draw what they found most special, most interesting about the Himalayas.

INFERENCE The positive energy of the Himalayas balances the collective negativity in the world.

MEDITATING ON OM

MATERIALS NEEDED ❖ Cushions or mats for children to sit on ❖ Blindfolds

PROCEDURE: Do a meditation while chanting OṀ. Let the children wear blindfolds while meditating. Encourage them to chant OṀ while meditating. After a maximum of 7 minutes, let them sit quietly for a few minutes before removing the blindfolds

INFERENCE: An experience of OṀ, the primal sound from which the Universe manifested itself.

BOOK X, VOLUME IX

Of Krisna

Authored by

THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

10.26

Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute, the greatest of all devotees, a perfect complete being

During the churning of the ocean, various divine entities emerged

10.28

Kṛṣṇa chooses the highest essential utility items

10.29

Kṛṣṇa is the mightiest

Time is the ultimate reckoner.

Among the trees He is the banyan tree. The banyan tree develops its root- like structures from the branches. These grow into the earth as secondary roots. The metaphysical meaning of the banyan tree is that just as the banyan tree grows its roots upside down unlike other trees, the spiritual person shuns the illusory outer world. Instead, he goes inwards towards the Absolute.

I Am the Complete Being Among the Siddhas, the complete beings, He is Kapila, the complete sage. Kapila is the author of the Sāṅkhya Yoga, the founding father of Mahānirvāṇi Pīṭha —Kapila Sarvajña Pīṭha, and is considered an incarnation of Viṣṇu and Mahādev. The first human being on planet Earth who started thinking and experienced completion was Kapila.

Ucchaiśravas is the legendary snow-white horse that emerged during the churning of the ocean of milk, the divine horse.

Airāvata, the four-tusked king of the elephants also emerged during the churning of the ocean of milk. Airāvata, whom Indra took as his mount

This is a metaphysical representation signifying how we are pushed and pulled by desires in our lives. From this churning in our life, various products emerge. As we go beyond the push and pull of desires, beyond life and death. Then we dwell in ultimate bliss.

The Daityas are considered to be a race of beings that warred against the demigods. Prahlād was the son of a powerful Daitya King, Hiraṇyakaśipu. Prahlād was a pious child, an embodiment of integrity. The young Prahlād is a supreme example of devotion. His life is the example that total surrender to the Divine is possible and that such surrender leads the Divine to completely care for His devotees, in all situations and at all times.

Of the animals, Kṛṣṇa is the Lion, king of the jungle.

For us to understand the glory of Kṛṣṇa

❖ What is special about Banyan trees?

❖ What does Nārada always chant?

❖ Kapila was the first human being to do what?

❖ What emerged during the churning of the ocean of milk?

❖ How does the Lord of death, Yama, ensure perfect discipline?

❖ Who is Prahlād?

❖ Can anyone beat or stop Kāla, Time?

DRAW BANYAN TREE

MATERIALS NEEDED:

PROCEDURE

Study a photo of a banyan tree, or connect to the live webcam of the Banyan tree at Aadi Kailash. Encourage the children to draw a banyan tree with many secondary roots.

INFERENCE

Just as the banyan tree grows its roots upside down unlike other trees, the spiritual person goes inwards towards the Absolute.

TUG OF WAR

PROCEDURE: Split the children into two groups. Try to ensure the groups are equally strong. Each group holds on to one end of the rope and tries to pull the other group towards them

Kṛṣṇa is everything!

BOOK X, VOLUME X

Authored by

THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM

Formless and pure as the wind, righteous as Rāma, powerful and feared as sharks, as revered

Kṛṣṇa is all that existed, exists and will exist

Of the letters, I am the 'A'. Of the dual words, I am the compounds and surely I am the never-ending time. I am the Omniscient who sees everything

Kṛṣṇa is the first of the letters, never-ending time and the Creator of this Universe

I am the all-devouring death and I am the creator of all things of the future. Of the feminine, I am fame, fortune, beautiful speech, memory, intelligence, faithfulness and patience

Kṛṣṇa is the Creator and Destroyer, and He is the seven Devīs, goddesses.

a factual observation recorded in the reminiscences of the British who ruled India. When the British traveled by ship from England to India, their water became spoilt during the long journey. However, on the return trip from India to England, the water from the Gaṅgā remained pure even after reaching England. The research showed that the Gaṅgā water had the miraculous power of cleansing Herself.

Of all the creations, Kṛṣṇa says He is the beginning, the middle and the end, thus establishing that He is all that existed, exists and will exist. He is the creator, created and creation.

Of the various branches of knowledge, Kṛṣṇa is the ultimate spiritual knowledge, Self-realization. Other branches of knowledge result from intelligence. Only Self-realization requires intuition and something beyond

To develop the child's understanding of the glories of Kṛṣṇa

❖ What property does the wind have?

❖ Which is the most powerful and feared fish?

❖ What part of creation is Kṛṣṇa?

GLORIES OF KRSNA

MATERIALS NEEDED:

PROCEDURE

Each child draws a large letter A, then draws thru, around, above and below this letter the other glories of Kṛṣṇa in these slokas.

INFERENCE

The glories of Kṛṣṇa are many..

GANGA MATA

PROCEDURE: Children to take turns telling stories of the river Gangā, or what it would be like if they were the river and had millions come and worship

INFERENCE: Gangā is a holy river

Hold Vaakyartha sadhas on how the children understand these glories.

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